Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana won reelection as speaker of the House on Friday, emerging victorious after a pair of GOP members switched their votes to deliver him a majority and open the 119th Congress.

Johnson needed 218 votes to secure the gavel, and at first appeared to fall two votes short. He huddled with allies and conservative members for about an hour as he seemed headed for defeat. 

A dramatic scene played out when two of the holdouts — Reps. Keith Self and Ralph Norman — eventually approached the dais and switched their votes, putting Johnson over the top. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the only remaining Republican defector.

After the vote, Self and Norman told reporters they spoke to Johnson and President-elect Donald Trump, who stressed the need for party unity. They both said Johnson reassured them that he would fight to advance Trump's agenda with Republicans in control of Congress and the White House.

A multi-round speaker's election threatened to derail the first day of the new Congress, but Johnson's victory allows the GOP majority to move on to other matters, including the counting of the Electoral College votes on Monday, Jan. 6.

Trump endorsed Johnson earlier this week, boosting his candidacy after some conservatives expressed doubts about his ability to lead the GOP conference. 

Johnson said he took "suggestions and requests from all members on process reforms" but "there were no deals cut" to secure the gavel. 

"We made no deals to anyone, no quid pro quo for anybody on any position or anything at all through the entire — I haven't done that in 14 months and I was not about to start today," he said. 

The Louisiana Republican said he was "100%" confident that he will remain speaker throughout the entire 119th Congress.